The Adventures of Applekit, Book Three: The Clan
by Grassy Leaves
Summary: As Applepaw goes to the Mooncave, she sees two cats that are from DawnClan. What is this Clan and why have they come to the forest?
1. Prologue

Prologue

"Well, we're back," a voice mewed looking around, his pelt shone in the moonlight.

"I'm not so sure that we should _be_ back Cottonbark," a tom growled, "Are you sure this is the right decision?"

"I'm positive Sootclaw," Cottonbark answered through squinted eyes, "Why would StarClan give me the message to come back if we should stay there?" an impatient tone took over the kind cat's voice.

"Maybe you interpreted their message wrong," Sootclaw countered.

"Sootclaw, if I interpreted their message wrong I would know."

Then a new voice started, "The queens are getting nervous, we need someone to lead us."

"Well I was just about to ask mister wise cat here, but since I decided not to I'm going to leave the clan in your hands, Sunfur, while I go to the Mooncave, good luck." And Cottonbark walked away.

"I heard what happened, Sunfur," another voice chimed in, "If you need my help just meow."

"Thanks Moonstream, I'll need it," Sunfur meowed.

"Well you'd better get to those queens quickly," Moonstream licked herself and walked away.

Sunfur began to think about the job he had just been assigned.

_Okay Sunfur, this is no time to panic, _Sunfur told himself, _Our leader and deputy just died, and StarClan knows how, our medicine cat gets a sign we should come back to our old territory, you've just become a warrior, and you're in charge, the clan needs you, and your strength, you can't panic._

He walked over to the queens and began to comfort them, "Oatflower, don't be worried, Cottonbark will be right back, Acorncloud you have nothing to be worried about, your kits will be fine."

"We can't be fine if we have no leader or deputy!" wailed Oatflower.

"Yes, if we're fine then tell us who is in charge, and what would happen if a fox attacks us?" Acorncloud curled her tail around her three kits, Tansykit, Otterkit and Flarekit, all of them she-kits.

"Well," Sunfur began, "Cottonbark put _me_ in charge, and if a fox attacks us then we'll defend ourselves. It's no different than back near the swamp."

"Except that we don't have a deputy or leader!" Yarrowroot complained as she padded over.

"Yarrowroot," Sunfur exclaimed, "You're a medicine cat!"

_Or you used to be before you became an elder, _Sunfur thought, "You should be able to tell us if trouble is coming!"

Yarrowroot rolled her eyes, "I'm an elder, and I used to be a medicine cat, which means no more dreams and no more signs from StarClan."

"Mousedung, this isn't working, how am I going to get this clan comfortable if they keep complaining,"Sunfur muttered.

He padded over to the top of the largest rock in sight and called a meeting, "All cats old enough to catch their own prey, gather here below this . . .," he looked down, ". . . boulder, for a clan meeting!" Sunfur yowled. The rest of the clan wasn't thinking the same thoughts as him.

"And who put you in charge?"

"You're not even a senior warrior!"

"He can't be leading _us_!"

_This, is going to take a while, _Sunfur thought as he hopped off and went to find a place for the clan to sleep.


	2. Chapter 1

**This cut and paste has everything I want to say here in it:**

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Chapter 1

Applepaw looked out of her den. It had been nearly a moon since Littlestream had become a warrior. These days, Applepaw was learning more fighting moves. She whined to Maplebrook her mentor countless times, "How many more are there?" Nevertheless, Maplebrook just shrugged and answered, "I don't know, I just think of different ones each day. And practicing them again doesn't hurt." Then she was stuck practicing more. Not hunting like she enjoyed, but fighting.

"Hi Applepaw," Wovenstar called from the corner of her eye; "Can you round up all the apprentices and bring them to my den?"

"Sure," she answered turning to him. She found Marshpaw and Toadpaw eating at the stump near the apprentice den, Pumpkinpaw and Dewpaw in the elders den putting mouse bile on the elders' ticks, and Gingerpaw sleeping in the nursery, "You miss this place don't you? She asked walking Gingerpaw up.

She blinked, startled, and then answered, "Yeah, I guess I do."

"Wovenstar asked the apprentices to meet in his den right now."

"Okay." They walked over to the den to find Wovenstar already waiting for them.

"You have been apprentices for about a moon," he turned to Pumpkinpaw and Applepaw, "Or a moon and a quarter," he continued, "It is time you came to the Mooncave to speak to StarClan."

The apprentices talked among themselves excitedly.

"Are we going all by ourselves? Pumpkinpaw stood up hopefully.

"No," Pumpkinpaw sat back down, "I will be accompanying you there because I need to speak myself."

"Can we tell our mother and father?" Dewpaw asked.

"Yes you may," he chuckled, "Go ahead, go and tell them."

All six apprentices ran to their parents, Marshpaw, Toadpaw and Applepaw to Lionfur and Lightcloud, and Dewpaw, Gingerpaw and Pumpkinpaw to Thornclaw and Aquaflower.

"Guess what?" Applepaw asked Lightcloud who was in the nursery.

"What?"

"We get to go to the Mooncave 'cause we're apprentices!" Toadpaw mewed happily.

"With Wovenstar too!" Marshpaw put in.

"Congratulations," she mewed then went back to her work.

They had hoped for a little more enthusiasm but went back to the Leader's den and saw that Dewpaw, Gingerpaw and Pumpkinpaw were already back.

Later that night they picked up their traveling herbs, Poppy flowers, Juniper berries and Dandelion leaves wrapped in Dock leaves. This was the first time that Applepaw had eaten traveling herbs so she asked what each herb was used for.

"Well," Littlestream started, "The poppy flowers are for extra energy, the Juniper berries are for strength when you get tired and the Dandelion leaves are to keep your breathing at the right rate and calm you, and the dock is just to wrap it up."

They walked to the Mooncave with Thornclaw and Fogheart in case they ran into trouble. When they got there Thornclaw and Fogheart stood outside the cave while Wovenstar and the apprentices went in.

"I can't see anything!" called Dewpaw, "Is everybody still there?"

"Yeah, we're still here," Marshpaw answered.

"Let your eyes get used to the dark by closing them for a moment," Wovenstar advised, "Now open, doesn't it look brighter?"

"Yeah, it does," Dewpaw squinted around trying to see, "But it's still really dark."

"Just wait," Wovenstar meowed mysteriously. They kept walking until Marshpaw bumped into something.

"Its pure stone," he began, "I think it's a wall."

"You must be imagining it," Toadpaw's voice sounded as if he kept walking, "Because I'm still walking."

"Toadpaw, come back," Wovenstar mewed, "I'm going to talk to everyone."

"Okay." His voice grew closer again.

"Alright," Wovenstar began, "You are about to enter StarClan's presence, when you walk in, a Mooncrystal will fall from the roof of the cave, it will be yours forever and will bear your marking."

When Gingerpaw cocked her head he explained, "Like for me, Wovenstar, it's an intersecting pattern of lines," she nodded her head and he moved on, "You must put your nose to touch the crystal and StarClan will lull you to sleep, then you will meet StarClan."

"Wow," Pumpkinpaw mewed.

Wovenstar then led them into the last room in the cave and immediately the cave began to glow. Applepaw saw seven little rocks glowing at the top, which gracefully began to fall and land at their feet one by one. While in the air, lines and shapes on the crystals that were glowing a bright green carved themselves into the crystals, each a different drawing. When Applepaw's fell at her feet, she saw five Apple seeds in a star, a copy of the marking in her fur on her forehead. It glowed bright green for a minute, then stopped.

"Okay, now put your nose to touch the Mooncrystal and you should fall asleep," Wovenstar was mewing but Applepaw did not hear, she put her nose to it instinctively and fell asleep.

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**So, the first chapter is done.**

**Hope it gets a lot of reviews.**

**Littlestream **


	3. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

"Hello Applepaw," a cat meowed politely.

"H-h-h-hi," Applepaw knew she was shaking from head to tail. This was her first time meeting StarClan!

"There is no need to be afraid young one," the pinkish-grayish cat replied. Something about the she-cat reminded Applepaw of someone.

"Wait a minute, you're Velvetleaf!" Applepaw realized.

"I was wondering if you'd remember me," Velvetleaf mewed.

"Y-you told me to 'Take risks for friends even if they have a low chance of succeeding'," It was all coming back to Applepaw, "I never had a proper chance to thank you."

"Just saving your clan was enough to thank me."

"Where are the other cats?" Applepaw looked around thinking they would be there behind her, but no other cats were in sight.

"StarClan sent me to come to you again to congratulate you on becoming an apprentice."

"Thank you," Applepaw's heart stopped when she figured that Velvetleaf did not give compliments easily.

"Now, I must go, for it is time for you to wake up," Velvetleaf looked sad that she could not spend more time with Applepaw, "This is only the beginning." She smiled then faded away.

Applepaw woke up with a start; she looked around and saw that the other apprentices were starting to stretch and wake up from their dreams. Wovenstar had already awoken and was sitting with his tail around his paws thinking. Applepaw thought she saw a worried look on his face for a flash until he called them out of the cave back into the passageway.

"What did your crystal look like?" Dewpaw asked Applepaw, "Mine had a dewdrop on it like the mark on my chest." She held her head up so Applepaw could see the white dewdrop marking on her light blue-gray chest.

"Mine was some apple seeds in placed in a circle," Applepaw answered, "Like a star." She added to herself.

"Mine had a frog shape on it," Toadpaw had overheard the conversation and walked over with the others.

"Mine had a pumpkin leaf," Pumpkinpaw sighed, "No surprise there."

"Mine had a tall flower with tall leaves around it," Gingerpaw frowned, thinking, "I don't understand why."

"Well maybe it's a ginger plant?" Marshpaw offered, "Well, anyway, mine was a reed with water all around it."

They were at the opening of the cave, and joined Thornclaw and Fogheart to walk home. Then ahead a large shape was moving towards the group, Applepaw squinted, and saw a smaller shape next to it.


	4. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

"Who's that?" Toadpaw asked.

"Shhh," Fogheart warned, "I know I'm not your mentor but one thing you need to know, is if that was an enemy they would have heard you and we wouldn't have anytime to run away."

Toadpaw's tail drooped down between his legs, then came straight back up, "Wait, you said _if_ they were enemies, which means they are not right?"

Fogheart sighed. Dewpaw saw and knew that he was frustrated, "Let me explain, well, let's see," she squinted ahead of them, the shapes grew nearer and nearer, "There only seems to be two of them, a mentor and apprentice, if you ask me, and how many cats do we have?"

Toadpaw's tail moved as he counted everyone, "Um, well Thornclaw and Fogheart is two, then us six, which is eight, then Wovenstar which is nine."

"Correct, and do you think that two cats can beat nine?"

"Um, no?"

"Correct, no, that is why Fogheart didn't take us into that little cave over there," she pointed to a cave on the right of them, "The cats would have walked by without noticing us so we could get away."

Wovenstar purred, "Well said, Dewpaw."

Though it was dark, Applepaw could tell that she was deeply blushing.

"Thank you," she whispered.

"Thank _you_," Fogheart stopped, "For saving me a lecture. I expect you to be a good mentor when you become a warrior."

They kept walking, the shapes grew closer, and then stopped, curious Wovenstar called to the darkness, "Who's there?"

"Who are you, should I ask," a voice called back.

"I am Wovenstar, leader of GrassClan, and these are some cats from my clan, we have just come back from the Mooncave."

"I am Cottonbark and this is Nettlepaw, my apprentice," Applepaw saw Dewpaw mutter something about "being right", "We are from Medicine cats from DawnClan, I need to go to the Mooncave immediately."

"Do not let us stop you, but I have one question," Wovenstar looked into the darkness to see if he could see Cottonbark, "Oh yes, please come out so we can talk civilly."

"I am sorry if I am trespassing on your territory but this is important."

"You are not trespassing, this is neutral territory, but we have never seen you before so what are you doing here?" Wovenstar asked.

"As I said before, I am here to go to the Mooncave to speak to my ancestors," Cottonbark mewed with anxiousness in his voice.

"Where did you come from?" Wovenstar asked, "I've never seen you before around here."

"I come from north of Highstones," said Cottonbark, "Our leader and deputy died both mysteriously and I need help finding the right leader."

"Oh," mewed Wovenstar, surprised, "Go ahead." He motioned the group aside to let them pass.

Applepaw saw an old black spotted cream cat and a small female apprentice that was acorn brown.

"Let's go back," mewed Wovenstar, "I want to tell the clan about these new cats."

They walked all the way back to camp and Applepaw, along with the other apprentices padded sleepily to the den.

"That was weird," mewed Marshpaw, but the other cats had already fallen asleep.


End file.
